Picker stick



July 10, 1928.

J. A. HINRICHS PICKER STICK Fi1e d Feb. 25, 1927 INVENTOR, 30h P 'mflch 5, Br

A TTORNEV.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN 1..HINRICHS, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY.

PICKER STICK.

Application filed February 25, 1927. Serial No. 170,972.

This invention relates to picker-sticks for looms. Ordinarily the loop of the strap through which the stick receives its driving impulse is supported at the proper height on the stick by some form of clip which must be held in place by a screw, bolt or the like; and for attaching what I term herein the back-strap (being the strap which limits the return movement of the stick) another screw or equivalent is ordinarily used. One object of thisinvention is to provide a picker-stick structure in which clamps will be embodied, one to support the first-named, or picking strap, and the other for attachment thereto of the back-strap or equivalent device for limiting the backward movement of the stick, thus to avoid weakening the stick. Another object is to provide a pickerstick structure in which the stick proper shall be reinforced in a novel manner as to the portion where usually breakage occurs.

In the drawing,

Fig. l is a front elevation of the improved picker-stick structure, showing also the two straps and a part of the batten of a loom;

Figs. 2 and 3 are, respectively, fragmentary inside and outside elevations of said structure; and

Figs. and 5 are, respectively, sections on lines H and 5-5, Fig. 1.

1 is the batten, 2 the shuttle box with a shuttle 3 and a picker 4 therein and having a slot 5 for the picker-stick, and 6 is the actuating arm from which, when reciprocated as from the tappet shaft of the loom, the picker-stick receives its shuttle-driving impulses.

7 is an ordinary wood picker-stick (being what I term the picker-stick proper of my picker-stick structure) pivoted as usual in a bracket 8 and normally held retracted by the spring 9, its upper end being received by slot 5 of the shuttle box. The picking strap is shown at 10 attached to the arm 6, it having as usual a loop 10 at its outer or free end receiving the picker-stick structure. 11 is the back-strap secured at one end to the batten.

Mounted on the picker-stick proper is a clamp constructed as follows: 12 is an elongated plate wider than the picker-stick proper is thick; it is recessed, as at 12 at both sides and also provided at each side with a pair of rounded lugs 12", each recess and the adjoining pair of lugs being formed in the present example by slitting the plate on parallel longitudinal lines, spaced apart about as far as the stick proper is thick, and slitting it again from each such line to the nearer lateral margin and then bending the part of the metal outwardly of each of the first slitsout of the plane of the plate and so that each such part presents a convex face to the other as shown in Fig. .1. This plate bears against the outer face of the stick proper, its lugs straddling the pickerstick proper or each being at the side of the same. Other plates 13 are adapted to bear against the inner face of the stick proper and these and the plate 12 are connected by upper and lower pairs of screws 14 which pass freely through the plate 12 and are tapped into the plates 13, the screws in each pair having the stick proper between them. The loop 10 of the strap embraces the stick structure in a manner to have contact with the narrowed portion of plate 12 and engage the contacts afforded by its lugs 12 between which it is received and hence, in the example, actually confined against up and down movement, such plate thus in effect serving as a saddle for the strap loop.

Above this clamp a clamp or anchorage device for the back-strap 11 is clamped on the stick proper and formed as follows: 15 1s a bifurcated member which straddles and snugly fits the outer face of the stick proper and has 1ts extremities turned outward to form lugs 15. 16 is a plate which bears against the inner face of the stick proper and has at its lower edge an inwardly pro Jectmg apertured flange 16. Member 15 and the plate are connected by a pair of screws 17 which pass freely through holes in the plate 16 and are tapped into the lugs 15 of member 15. At its outer portion member 15 has a projecting threaded stud 15 over which is fitted the apertured end of the back-strap 11 Which may then be secured by the thumbaiut 15 on such stud. Much of the strength and stability of the connection thus afforded between the stick structure and back-strap is due to the fact that member 15 straddles the stick-proper. Both clamps are secured to the stick in a manner to permit their adjustment up and down thereon and avoid the necessity for driving holes, which it is known weaken the stick.

I provide means to resist the tendency of the stick proper to bend backward as an incident of its driving impulse and which is bowed and it is held at its ends, Whichare spaced from the stick proper, with its convex side (between its ends) bearing against the inner face of the stick proper; it may very advantageously be somewhat elastic and,

. when thus secured, hold the stick under some tension in a manner tending to bow it so that the resulting flexion Would be convex outwardly. One end may be secured,as by a rivet 19, to the upper plate 13 oi the lower clamp, and the other by being passed through the aperture in the flange 16.

Having thus :iuu described my invention, what I, claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A picker-stick structure including a stick proper and means to resist bending of the stick proper as an incident of its impelling the shuttle including an elastic normally tensioned reinforcing strip secured to and extending lengthwise of the stick-proper and tending to flex the stick-proper so that the resulting flexion will be outwardly convex.

2. A picker-stick structure including a picker-stick proper, a. clamp including two clamping members and mean a to secure them in clamping relatlon to the picker-stick, one

of said members being bifurcated and strad JOHN A. HINBIGHS. 

